Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-20


ton IS herewith presented, as expressive
Of the views of grand and popular expo
nent of Democracy. The interest mani
tested IN the impending struggle will in
sure careful reading Of this able eXposi-
ton of the Democratic position on this
question:
FELLOW CITIzENs:-I propose to state
as briefly as l can some Of the principal
| reasons on accOuE. of which | am Op-
posed, thoroughly, radically, and from
/ TOD 10 bottom, 10 this whole prohibition
movement.
/ It'll sought to enforce prohibition upon
Waco and McLennan county, by q vote Of
the.peopIe, TO be had on the 3lst of this
month.
/ IfIlive to see October next, will have
! been q citizen of MCLennau county for
/ thirty Ave years. I came here as soon as
! | attained majority and my home has
/ been here ever since.
remember Waco when there were not
more than dozen board shanties here
and when hundreds of Indian wigwams
could frequently be seen in what Is now
the most pOpulOus portion of the city,
the Indians being here for purposes Of
trade.
During the earlier days there was q
great deal Of disgusting, brutal disSip&-
Jlon, but as the years rolled on and pOpu-
latiOn came in, and schools ana churches
were built, a gradual change came over
the people, society and puoIic opinion.
The tide of Improvement IN oil the ele-
ments Of q high civilization has risen
higher here with each revolving year, and
in looking back over the thirty five years,
/ from this eminenCe, upon which we now
stand, do say to you that you may COM
pare the Waco ofltC-day with the Waco
! of anv ether period of her history, and
/ there is less Of vice, Of dissipation, less
/ drunkenness, less dealing il whisky, and
more of morality, enlightenment and civ
/ llIZation than ever existed here before.
| We all know this 10 be true. Why should
we change cur habits, why TevOlutiOn,Ze
our business? Why should the hand of
] the reformer be laid upon our commune
/ tV, when we are better than ever before,
and advancing more rapidly than ever IN
all that is good and moral and ennObling?
/ Have we not elegant and comfortable
public free school houses in every ward
! IN our city In which cur children are be
/ ing educated, and do not the spires of
churches devoted to the worship OF the
/ living God rise from every square? Does
not thrift and enterprise and public spirit
abound here, and do not our people extend
q liberal hand to the support Of every
/ thing that is moral and progressive?
/ Where can YOU find & more sober, orderly,
enterprising and thrifty community?
Waco is striving for & plsce among the
| leading commercial CenteT5 Of the state,
| aud is engaged in q generous rivalry with
/ her sister cities. Ought the people OF
| McLennan county, VINO feel a ust pride
/ in their county, 10 handicap her IN this
! lsudable race? | believe they will not.
! They desire as do, TO see our little city
| have fair chance in the race for social,
commercial and industrial development.
II this prohibition movement succeeds
Waco will drop behind, will fall cut of
the race. We can not impose our tastes
as TO what people shall eat and drink on
others. If we attempt it we Will be left
to the enjoyment of our fanCies, and those
upon whom We depend for growth, who
claim the right to determine these mat
tiers for themselves. will 90 where their
personal liberty is not Curtailed. They
will 90 where social pleasures Whic hhaVe
! been INDUCED in by wise and good men
/ II III lllt DGS lLLtLA@ " NlC NOAIA may NC
! sought without violating law. Those
now here engaged in the traffic and hun
dreds dependent upon them in the multi
/ form ramifc2tiOns of social and
| business life will be compelled
/ to seek new fields or new en-
pigments. The business of our city
! which has grown up and accommodated
| itself to existing habits and conditions,
would be rudely shocked at a time when
already greatly depressed and little able
/ 20 bear new burdens. Values would de-
preciate, affecting the town directly and
! the people of the country Indirectly, but
I with equal certainty, for this is their
market town, and every thousand added
| to its population increases the value of
country produce, and decline here means
! hard times throughout the county. The
| interests Of the town and Country are
! iGseparablY blended. A tiOurishing, pros
! porous city rapidly increasing its pOpula-
! ton adds value each year TO every acre
Ofland and every farm in the county. That
| which harms one will also hurt the other.
! | hold it to be an unde1!able proposition
! that any line Of policy which injuries
either is unwise and impOli.ic. But sup
! pose the enthusiasts who, without rhyme
/ or reason, are seeking to force prohibit
ton upon this county and city are sue
ceS5ful, will prohibition prohibit the use
/ Of in uXicants and suppress drunkenness!
That it Will not is the universal and I'M
cOntradicted testimony coming from
all the states where 1t
mas been tried. In rural districts it
does 10 some extent lessen drunkenness.
Iu towns and cities it has invariably,
without an exception, increased drunken
ness and crime. There being no license
TO pay, every fellow who can get jug of
whisky runs his saloon. The difference
being they can sell cheaper, and the stuff
they retail is viIer than when sold under
license The state loses the revenue
which goes TO increase the profits of the
saloon keeper.
The trs1lic goes out of the hands Of de-
cent and responsible men who, under eX-
isting law, must keep orderly houses,
into the hands of disreputabIe and bad
men, who are irresponsible ard keep
dives and dens, and encourage the lowest
character Of dissipation and drunkenness.
Fellow citizens, the statement l make
that drunkenness in cities and centerS of
population is increased by operation OF
pr0hibitOry laws, l repeat, is verified bYa
universal concurrence Of testimony.
Nothing but harm results from forcing
prohibition on cities. These cen
ters IF population Eecy much
more Tran rural districts, are
etN cted with the vices which flow from
the whisky tratfi-. Prohibition aggra-
Yates and increases them. l read a state
mcnt from the Philadelphia American,
paper which l have read Tor twelve years,
weekly journal devoted to literature
and the arts than which no journal in the
country has better reputation for truth
r. ! Of will